Candle on the Water
by Annika the Merciful
Summary: AU. Enchanted Forest. No curse. Emma is a princess and stumbles across the famous pirate Captain Hook as she escapes the castle in the early morning hours. Written to "The Once Was a Pirate" and "Candle on the Water". Character death. Captain Swan.


A/N: My friend wanted an AU fic written to "There Once Was a Pirate" and as I was listening to the lyrics I thought it went really well with "Candle on the Water" so, I combined the two and Voila! This happened. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not the music, the characters, the lyrics, or anything else but this plot alone.

Note: Emma is the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White. She lives in the Enchanted Forest and there never a curse.

* * *

_There once was a pirate _

_Who put out to sea _

_His mates all around him_

_No maiden on his knee_

He was a pirate, a good for nothing pirate that had a drinking problem. Or so he had been told but Captain Hook was the most feared and revered pirate of the realms. Even with a hook as a hand people moved out of his way when he walked down the streets, muttering his name underneath their breaths wondering if they had crossed him while fearing the worst. He enjoyed the fear that his colourful moniker brought but more than that he enjoyed the more pleasurable part of his fame. No matter where he would go he always found a woman willing and wanton nearly begging for him. All it took was a smirk and wink and he had them wrapped around the tip of his hook. He allowed a small grin to tug at his lips, it was almost too easy.

The story of how he had come to be had been changed so many times that he didn't even both to correct people anymore, instead enjoying how they changed it and made him even more fearsome. It only added to his already famous reputation. The captain smirked as he watched his men from the back corner of the tavern of the town that they had stopped in. His men were laughing and enjoying their time here, taking the time to rest and relax before heading back to the ship to count their scores and head out before the law caught up with them. They were all dressed as regular men to hide their appearances. He on the other hand did nothing to change his appearance when going into town, purposely leaving on the long black coat that defined his position, his rank, and who he was. He preferred to stay out of sight and to the back he may be the most well known pirate in all of the realms but even still Captain Hook enjoyed his time to himself.

Hook could have any woman he wanted and from a few of the wenches at the bar he considered accepting their invitation. He loved the game and most gave as good as they got, though the really good ones were few and far between. He smirked and flirted back with the redhead that had caught his eye allowing for too long glances over her body that seemed to rile her up more. He grinned mischievously, it was almost too easy. When she returned with his second ale he winked at her gently pulling at her elbow while whispering sinful things in her ear. She shivered and sighed unable to deny her want for him. He let her go, releasing her back to her duties as he placed the money on the table, stood, and walked out knowing that after the appropriate amount of time she would follow.

The night waned and as the sun began to show on the horizon as he grabbed his coat before slipping out the door. He never spent the night, that was always a rule. He and the pretty redhead had been at it most of the night but he had had to wait for her to fall asleep before slipping out unnoticed. He took a deep breath basking in the warmth of the early trying to ignore the growing hole in his chest. He loved to relish in the pleasure he received from the women but it was always momentary. It always seemed to flutter away just as it had come. Stretching his legs the captain moved languidly down the docks, not quite heading towards his ship but just enjoying being so close to the water. Stopping and resting Hook pulled out a pipe before lighting a match, enjoying the taste of the tobacco as it moved through his mouth and lungs. He sighed wondering if he would ever find a maiden that would stay with him.

_There once was a maiden, Who wandered the mead_

_To gather blue violets, Her mama would need_

_A wail through the willows, All hallow through the willows_

_She'll wail through the willows, 'Til she finds him_

She was a princess, and not just any princess... she was the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White. The product of true love, oh what joys. Emma almost gagged every time she thought about it. Most people would love to have parents who loved and cherished their daughter as much as they loved and cherished her but that came at a price. Emma had to endure the overly sweet and sickening terms of endearment they had for each other, their goo goo eyes, and their annoyingly sweet whispering of nothings in the other's ear. Emma was not a romantic, she wanted adventure. Sword practice and horseback riding were much more preferable ways to spend the day instead of dance class and poise. As much as she could have wished though Emma was unable to do anything about her circumstances. She had been born when there looked to be no hope of an heir to the throne and now here was sixteen turning seventeen unable to find a suitor that she could endure the presence of for more than five minutes without besting.

Her people loved her and revered her, almost as much as they revered the pirate captain, but this was different. Her people would bow to her and willingly give her anything she please. She didn't like it one bit but as the heir she had to learn how to take their love with a smile and accept their gifts with a polite "thank you." She sighed spending her free time dreaming of wide open spaces and adventures throughout all the realms never once being recognized as the daughter of true love.

Princess Emma had just returned from her summer in the country. She had loved the country with its gentle rolling hills and lovely open meads Emma couldn't have been happier. But her time away from the sea always tired her. She loved the sea and she loved spending her afternoons watching the sailors come in and out of port. It fascinated her and often times she stole away, hiding from her parents, care takers and guards to spend time walking among the locals.

This past summer Emma had turned seventeen and the respite in the country was needed as within the last year the number of suitors that had come asking for her hand had grown. She couldn't stand any of them. They all lacked a sense of adventure and willingness to have fun. They were stiff and barely cordial and more than once she had purposely stepped on their toes while dancing. They all wanted her because of her rank and beauty, none seeming to care about her wishes or her desires. That summer Emma dreamed of a man in a dark leather coat, long and trailing as he walked down the docks heading towards his ship. She imagined that he looked back at her, piercing her soul with his electric blue eyes before offering his hand silently asking if she wanted to come. In her dreams she took his hand and the two sailed the seas, having adventures and relaxing so that she could just be herself.

She sighed as she rested her elbows against the railing of her balcony looking out over the harbor as it began to stir in the early morning light. One lone figure caught her eye. She couldn't make out the detail of what he was wearing or what he looked like but she could tell his was alone. She smiled at him knowing that even though he couldn't see her that there was someone out there that seemed to share her love of the early morning solitude.

It was early yet, early enough that Emma could scale down the side of the castle and walk the harbor and be back in time for breakfast. To her parent's shock and horror, this was something that happened on a regular occasion, well they thought it had only happened the twice, oh if only they knew. Emma changed swiftly into a dark green pants and shirt with a hooded shall before leaping over the balcony and sliding down to the ground before walking casually to docks wondering if she would run into the man she saw from her window.

Hook had been lost in his thoughts as he took in deep breaths of the tobacco before exhaling it through his mouth. He had been having strange dreams of late of a beautiful blonde woman that came with him, traveling the seas and enjoying the adventures of piracy together. He had been thinking of them and now as his tired mind returned to what little he could remember of his dreams he realised he wasn't able to remember much but the feeling of absolute peace and joy filled him. Though it was a happiness he had not felt in many years it still left an odd taste in his mouth. Choosing to move his mind along he allowed his eyes to roam settling on the changing hue of the sky and water before him.

He looked back from the ever growing light on the sea to the main shore watching as fisherman started setting up their stalls to sell the day's wares. He smirked at them both jealous and glad that he did not have their lives. He stood up, choosing to walk around a bit before heading back to his ship which had been anchored off shore a little ways. As he was making his way back through the maze of the docks he noticed a small figure working their way through the streets towards the docks. Intrigued as the form looked too small to be a man's but the clothing was not that of a woman's. He was confused and began a slow path of interception.

Emma noticed him at once, she had heard rumors of who he was but she didn't much care for rumors and so put them out of her mind at once knowing that this had been the man she had seen on the docks not twenty minutes ago. Veering her path slightly Emma barely missed him as she passed by trying not to seem obvious. "Pardon me sir." Emma breathed a quick apology as she turned around.

"My fault." Hook was able to look at her then, definitely a woman. He had had his suspicions before as no man he had ever know had swayed their hips side to side like she had done or rather the way she seemed to do without noticing. Her blonde hair was bright and chinning against the increasing sunlight surrounding them and as the silence fell he smiled a friendly though sinful smile. "You'll have to excuse me, I'm not used to having other people around this early in the morning."

She nodded before answering. "I usually never am able to get away before my day is scheduled for me so the times that I can take to come down by the sea and breathe in the sweet air are always a blessing." Emma explained quickly with a bit of sarcasm and derision added she had hoped that he hadn't noticed who she was; if he did it wouldn't be good.

"You speak as if you were born to sail the sea herself." Hook smiled again wickedly, the more he studied her face he thought she looked familiar but couldn't quite place where he knew it from. Clearly she was, at the very least, nobility…maybe even royalty.

"Only in my dreams." Emma hadn't realized that he had let a dreamy expression come over her eyes as she stared out at the largest ship anchored off shore. Had she but known she was starring at his ship.

"Well you'd make a great sea-fearing lass if I'd ever known one. You should come with me, I always have room for a pretty lass." He let the easy smirk curl his lips as his eyes moved over her defined form in this specific outfit. Clearly someone had not told her own well defined her figure was, or how distracting it was. Hook was having a hard time tearing his eyes away from it but with an equally beautiful face and bright green eyes that thrived with the notion of adventure Hook kept his eyes on her face taking in her youth and innocence.

She looked over him appraisingly as she took in his garb and form. He was well built and tan from the days sailing under the hot summer sun. "Oh you couldn't handle me." She leveled him with a challenging gaze.

He snorted before stepping closer, "I doubt that love, never a woman to have bested me." He responded cockily letting his charms push him further into her personal space than was deemed appropriate.

"If that were so then where is your sword sailor?" Her eyes sparkled brightly; it had been too easy to nimbly remove the weapon with his eyes trained on her.

Hook looked down as he felt for the long metal object that hung at his hip in the soft leather sheath only to find it empty and dangling lightly from the pale slender fingers that belonged the woman in front of him. She was good. He smirked, allowing some of the whiteness of his teeth to show through. "Well done love, the best I've seen. Some of my men couldn't even be that good, and we're pirates." He stepped up to her now nose to nose as he tried to make a grab for his weapon.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know that's no way to get back your weapon. We duel for it, I win and I keep it, you win and you get something from me that you wish." It was a dangerous bargain, especially now knowing that he was a pirate. The warnings that he was the famous pirate captain moved through her mind with rapid speed and even as she saw the sun glinting off of the metal hook where his hand should be she couldn't find it in herself to care. Emma loved the challenge and so far he had been the first to have been able to keep up with her.

"So the lass likes a challenge I see." He paused choosing to circle her and take her all in. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's dangerous to make a deal with a pirate love, let alone the captain of them all." He made it around to where he was face-to-face with her again smirking as he pulled a blade from his boot, toying with the tip.

"Yeah, but I've never been good at listening." Emma stated matter-of-factly before setting his sword off to the side and removing the blade in her boot as well. She waited for him to move as he simply stared at her, unable to process how this was all happening. "Are you going to stand there pirate or are you going to do something about the fact that I currently have your sword." Her eyes darkened and dilated allowing for her to see all of what was going on. His eyes brightened before moving in quickly, though not surprising her, with an attempt to disarm her.

The battle seemed to go on for hours as each one parried the other's blow unable to disarm the other as they continually learned how to block each other's moves. It wasn't until Hook managed to wedge his blade in between her's sending it skidding a few feet away. Their breathing was labored their eyes locked wondering what the other would do. After a few moment's he stepped back allowing her to bend and grab her blade before slipping it back in her boot. Standing back up she grabbed his sword returning it to him with a smile on her lips.

"Well done pirate, you're the first to best me." Her amusement that he was actually able to do this irritated and astounded him. "Now, what do you wish for your prize?" Her grin was innocent enough if not for the look in her eyes that showed him she knew how to play this game.

Pulling back and allowing for the personal space that would appear appropriate he tapped his forefinger against his chin as if pondering. "Let me see, what could I ask of a beautiful lass that knows how to fight." The sarcasm fell lightly keeping the mood easy. "How about a kiss for good luck?" He stepped close again, moving into her personal space. It seemed they were unable to maintain a proper distance.

"As you wish." Emma whispered in response before sliding up onto her tiptoes letting her lips move against his for a moment before disappearing. He opened his eyes hoping to pull her back in for another when he realized how far away she was already. "If you ever need a light in the darkness look for the candle always burning and you'll find your way." She smirked and started at a jog heading away from him.

He had tried to follow but she was too quick and he had been unable to find her again. Sighing, his fingers brushed against his still tingling lips. As he walked back to the docks that held the small boat that would take him to his ship Hook wondered how such an innocent kiss had been so consuming.

Since the kiss Emma had been unable to forget the pirate captain. Her thoughts had gone back to him time and again hoping that he would return to harbor so that she could visit him again. As she had promised Emma kept a huge candle burning all night long on her balcony for him to see. At night the entire surrounding town and castle were dark, no light shining through, but now Emma gave him a light to follow hoping to lead him back to her. Over the next fortnight the weather worsened, sailors came in talking about the storms they had encountered, the crops they had lost, the ships that hadn't made it and Emma's heart clenched.

She had become increasingly worried about this pirate captain tending to spend long hours in the library reading up on ships and stories of sailors. One such book she found was a diary of a wife of a sailor. On the first page was written a song that the wife had always sung to her husband before he had left. Emma let her fingers graze lightly over the page and slowly over each word as the weather darkened pages called out to her heart she read the words out loud.

"_I'll be your candle on the water, My love for you will always burn, I know you're lost and drifting, But the clouds are lifting, Don't give up you have somewhere to turn. I'll be your candle on the water, 'Til ev'ry wave is warm and bright, My soul is there beside you, Let this candle guide you, Soon you'll see a golden stream of light."_ Emma sighed as she closed her eyes and let her finger tips linger over the inked words that were crying out to her heart. She didn't know if she was in love with the pirate captain, she doubted it, but she had told him she'd be the light for him to look for in the night. The words spoke to her heart as she allowed them to seep into to her enveloping her in the warm melody that she found herself humming for the days and months to come.

As the days passed the stories and the storms grew worse. It had been raining for four days straight when she had heard the news. The captain of the royal fleet had asked for a private audience with her parents and Emma had paced nervously outside of the hall. The news was good and bad she later found out, the _Jolly Roger_ ship to the famous pirate Captain Hook had been found destroyed into an island some miles out at sea. He had not seen any survivor's, they had searched, and Emma's breathe halted. That had been the good news, but Emma couldn't even pay attention to her parent's as they continued on to explain that the bad news was they had lost a great deal of men trying to make it back before the storms struck. As an outcry the thunder clapped loud over head making her parents move to hug one another. Emma retired to her room early that night making sure to watch the waters and that her candle didn't go out. She would always keep it lit, always for him.

Captain Hook lay buried under driftwood from his ship. He was unsure of how he had made it to the island without drowning in the storm last night. He had been a day's journey from the safe harbor that he had wanted to return to for a fortnight, though unable. Now as he moved the driftwood he staggered until he found something to catch his balance. His leg was injured; he wouldn't be able to put his full weight on it, making the search for his mean more complicated. He sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Moving slowly and carefully Hook moved to where most of the wreckage was searching for any survivors and finding none.

Over the next few months Hook became resourceful as he found food, made shelter and worked on a suitable boat to take him the rest of the way to his destination. Slowly Hook was becoming closer to heading back to shore, being safe, away from the dreaded island he had come to hate even though it was his home for now. After an average day of scavenging for food and securing his shelter Hook laid underneath the stars enjoying their beauty as well as the warmth from the fire when his eyes drifted shut and words of a soft but sweet melody seemed to reach him.

He watched as his brain produced an image of a beautiful blonde woman in a flowing blue gown stand on a balcony staring out at the ocean next to a large brightly glowing candle as she sang. She reminded him of the lass that had challenged him only a month ago. Now he let his body relax as her soft gentle voice drifted over him memorizing the words as the lulled him to sleep. _A cold and friendless tide has found you, Don't let the stormy darkness pull you down, I'll paint a ray of hope around you, Circling in the air, Lighted be a prayer. I'll be your candle on the water, this flame inside of me will grow, Keep holding on you'll make it, Here's my hand so take it, Look for me reaching out to show, as sure as rivers flow, I'll never let you go."_ Captain Hook feel asleep with the words running through his head making their way to his heart, never knowing the danger that dangled above him moving into strike. He would die with those words on his lips, hoping to reach out and touch the beautiful blonde woman that sang the words in the darkness, her voice the ray of light.

_The crew went below_

_They begged him to join them_

_But he would not go_

_Oh sail a little little_

_For just a little little_

_Oh said for a little_

'_Til she find him_

His body was found two months later after some sailors had noticed a shelter looking structure from sea. They found him still lying there where he had fallen asleep. If not for the rotted smell of decomposition it would seem like a dream. The men questioned what to do but even the sailors of the royal fleet had respect for the greatest pirate captain that had lived. Grabbing a tarp from their boat they moved the remains of his body tying it securely before loading him on the ship. Once out into the deepest waters they lowered his body and watched it sink into the deep blue waters laid to rest, once and for all.

The captain had taken his hook, proof that the pirate was dead for sure. Showing it to the King and Queen the sailor left, his work finished. Emma had been watching from the corner unable to process his death. She had barely known him, but there was a connection that had drawn her heart towards him making her want him in a way that she had never wanted any other man before. Emma walked out of the main receiving hall, needing time to be alone she choose to walk through the groove that led to the small lake that connected the forest to the castle grounds. Her fingers lightly embraced the bark of each of the willow trees as she moved from each one before sitting down to remove her shoes and stick her feet in the water. Unable to keep the tears from her eyes any longer Princess Emma grieved the loss of the Pirate Captain she had barely known but had loved with all of her heart.

_Her heart was laden _

_She fell by a tree_

_Sand of some pirate_

_Who haunted the sea_

_A wail through the willows_

_All hollow through the willows_

_She'll waill through the willows_

'_Til she finds him_

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FIN.  
I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review so I know your thoughts, thanks!

-Annika


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